COLUMBIA, PA: The National Watch and Clock Museum is honored to receive a one-time $6,121 grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The Commission has awarded $1,053,880 in general operating grants for 56 qualifying museums with annual operating budgets of more than $500,000.“The decision to limit the fund to museums with larger budgets and was made in consultation with state lawmakers who provided the money for the grants in this year’s state budget. It was partly because the amount of money to be distributed wouldn’t go very far if all the hundreds of museums and historical sites in the state were eligible,” stated Howard Pollman, a spokesperson for the commission, in the November 24, 2012 Patriot News.

“Additionally, historians say based on their experience with federal grants, they often are limited to museums that are visible, have higher visitor counts, and are likely to be successful. The commission capped the general operating support grants at $50,000 each and barred museums that receive funding from another state agency from eligibility,” further explained Pollman.

“The National Watch and Clock Museum is ecstatic that the PHMC has awarded this grant. Museums in the Commonwealth, like many other entities, are always working at augmenting the funds they receive directly from supporters and grants like this one provide a much needed boost,” comments Museum Director Noel Poirier.

COLUMBIA, PA: Looking for a time-out from all the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations? Or an outing for your out-of-town family and friends?

Time Out!, a special exhibit at the National Watch and Clock Museum, closes December 29. The exhibit highlights the important role that time has played in sport from the earliest Olympiads to modern time. The exhibit, generously supported by Gallet Watch Group, presents unique items from the Museum collection as well as items on loan from individuals and other museums, including the Lake Placid Olympic Museum in New York. The stories of the athletes who used them are featured, adding to the significance of these treasured pieces.

Accurate time tracking has always been vital to sport. This exhibit, which was scheduled the same year as the summer Olympic Games in London, explores the role time has played in the history of sport and how it has influenced sport over the centuries.

“The Museum has been using the term ‘sport’ broadly for this exhibit,” explains Museum Director Noel Poirier “and includes items that are used to time almost any competitive endeavor. One of our goals is always to make the exhibits relevant and place the timekeeping story in context. The inclusion of nontimekeeping items is essential to that effort,” says Poirier.

Director of Education, Katie Knaub adds, “The exhibit is so unique because it looks at not only the timepieces themselves, but at the athletes, who seem to compete more against the timepiece than their actual competitors. Time measurement is so key in a sporting event that an athlete can win or lose by less than one-thousandth of a second - an amazing concept that we have invented timepieces which can measure time that closely.”

COLUMBIA, PA: Several hundred members of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) will converge on York October 25, 26, and 27 to share knowledge, improve skills, and buy and sell a wide array of items related to timekeeping and its history. This three-day event at the York Expo Center is the Mid-Eastern Regional hosted by the Philadelphia Chapter of the NAWCC.

The NAWCC is headquartered in Columbia, and its 17,000 members include local and worldwide hobbyists, students, educators, casual collectors, and professionals in retail and manufacturing trades. The Association’s regionals always offer an excellent time to bring other members together to share their experiences and ideas.

The mission of the NAWCC is to inform the public on the science of horology and share the interest and fascination that members have with others. The community is invited to attend Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and see the exhibit, American Iron Front Clocks Circa 1850 -1875, an excellent collection of timepieces from chapter members. Two outstanding speakers will present educational programs on Saturday, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with opportunities for questions after their presentations.

Visitors who find that they share an interest and fascination in timekeeping with those members at the regional are invited to consider the opportunity to join the NAWCC as an introductory member. The four-month membership, for just $20, is available to learn about the benefits and all that the NAWCC offers before making a longer-term commitment of full membership.

Members at the Regional have “all the time in the world,” so while you’re there, ask any questions you want and find out just what makes them tick! For additional information about the event or the NAWCC, contact the chairman of the event at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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COLUMBIA, PA: Steel Time, a remarkable display of nearly 200 gunmetal watches, is featured at the National Watch and Clock Museum now through December 11. Made of burnished steel between 1850 and 1910, each piece is unique in a variety of styles and techniques, but all have echoes in the wristwatches produced today.

For many years François-Paul Journe, a passionate and knowledgeable collector, brought together this collection of singular gunmetal timepieces. This magnificent collection was previously exhibited at The Forbes Galleries in New York, the salon of F.P. Journe’s Manufacture in Geneva, Switzerland, and at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo, Japan. Visitors with countless thoughts about the measurement of time and its evolution will understand why contemporary watchmakers like F.P. Journe continue to develop watchmaking as a science.

F.P. Journe keeps this exhibition alive through a book entitled Steel Time, written by two outstanding experts, Jean Claude Sabrier and Georges Rigot. More than 300 fascinating pages cover the origin of these creations, sometimes going back to the seventeenth century. One seldom sees such a vivid and complete approach to quality watchmaking in precious-metal watches.

The preface, by François-Paul Journe, introduces the only steel watch in the F.P Journe -Invenit et Fecit- collection. Only a steel case can give the Sonnerie Souveraine chiming watch its crystal-clear sound. Otherwise, the brand only uses platinum or 18K red gold for its precious and elegant cases. F.P. Journe is the only manufacturer in the world to produce all its calibers in 18K rose gold, a first in the watch world and unique specificity of the brand. During this exhibit, Journe’s book Steel Time will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.

The industry of laminated iron was one of the greatest adventures of the nineteenth century. Produced in large quantities as of 1845, the material was used in railways, bridges, and towers. As the price of steel fell, it replaced iron in most industrial applications, and it made a dramatic entrance with the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1885 and the building of the Eiffel Tower in 1889. The metal was widely accepted by the general population, and the fashion spread to all walks of life, including horology.

Gunmetal watches developed shortly after the war of 1870 and painted a captivating picture of a new type of watch that was both egalitarian and fun! Because of a considerable price difference between steel and gold watches, steel watches could circulate freely without heavy taxation. The watch became available to all classes of society and led to the birth of the proletarian watch, greatly encouraged by the growth of the French metal industry, and the development of new methods of production and treatment of steel.

Numerous styles were designed in gunmetal watches, sometimes with a plain case, sometimes adorned with two gilt metals applied on the bezel, and to the edge of the case back. The dials could be in white or colored enamel, simply marked with the word Regulateur, or embellished with numbers painted on round flinqué enamel cartouches of various colors, and often depicted a locomotive, a ship, or a car. Depending on the price, some offered a more complicated movement, with a chronograph, an alarm setting, or a striking mechanism, and others could offer world-time indications. In creative hands, steel did much to popularize watches.

Registration for the Homeschool Day is required; cost per student is $10 with no charge for one accompanying adult. For each additional adult attending there is a $6 charge with no charge for children under 5 years of age (unless they want to make a clock for $6). Please contact the Education Department at 717-684-8261, ext. 237 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
to register or for more information.

“Along with other events and workshops, the Museum enjoys planning a Homeschool Day each year because it’s another opportunity for families to see that the Museum is not only educational, but a whole lot of fun too – for all ages,” stated Director of Education Katie Knaub.

COLUMBIA, PA: Adam Harris, our Gallet Guest Curator of Wristwatches, has been with the Museum since April and has been studying and evaluating the Museum’s wristwatch collection. In the process of doing so, he has come across an assortment of over 50 watches donated to the NAWCC which were never intended to be part of the Museum collection. In an effort to find homes for these watches, and in turn bring in some much needed revenue for the NAWCC, an auction has been launched on the NAWCC 4SaleNAWCC website.

The auction began Thursday, July 12. Check out all the items at http://4sale.nawcc.org. Additional items will be added next week along with some spare parts too. Please study the pictures on the site closely, because with bargains like these, no returns or refunds will be accepted. An average USA shipping price has been added to each watch. If multiple pieces are purchased, a bulk shipping price can be calculated. No shipments will be made to Italy, Nigeria or the Middle East.

Further information may be available by emailing Adam Harris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Five Spirit of Hospitality Award recipients were recognized by the PA Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Annual Reception on June 14.

Abby Krouse, admission and gift shop manager at the Museum, received the Spirit of Service Award.The award recognizes a frontline individual (paid or volunteer) in the travel and tourism industry who distinguishes him or herself by promoting our area through exemplary service and dedication to the consumer. Nominees must have direct guest contact to be considered for the award. Abby was one of dozens of nominees from Lancaster County considered by the selection committee.During her six-plus years as principal first contact for Museum visitors, Krouse has created a number of initiatives that promote the local and countywide tourism community. Abby’s genuinely friendly nature enhances our guests’ time in Lancaster County. “The Museum was honored to have a member of our staff selected and it demonstrates our ongoing efforts to be a more relevant and visible entity in a crowded tourism market. Thank you to Abby for all of her hard work in assisting us (and being recognized for doing so) in this endeavor,” says Museum Director Noel Poirier.

COLUMBIA, PA: Once again it’s time to sip on some hops and check out the clocks! The National Watch and Clock Museum is holding its fifth annual beer-tasting event, Hops ’n’ Clocks, on Friday, July 13th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Come sample local brews and fine food from the area, enjoy live music, and maybe even walk away with a door prize!

Participating breweries include Bube’s Brewery, Good Dog Taproom, Lancaster Brewing, Liquid Hero Brewery, Millbock Brewing, Mudhook Brewing, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Mr. Steve’s Homebrews, South County Brewing, Troegs Brewing, and Union Barrel Works. And what’s beer without something to go with it?! Providing tasty samples to complement the beer will be local caterers, including Bully’s, Burning Bridge, Golden Stories, HK Anderson Pretzels, Isaac’s Restaurant and Deli, Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen, the Flour Child, Trio Bar and Grill, and the Wrightsville Inn. For the designated drivers in attendance or those just looking for an alternative, Turkey Hill also will be providing plenty of nonalcoholic drinks!

During the evening raise your glasses to the return of live music by the energetic Irish trio of Fire in the Glen. They always come through with a rollicking selection of traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, and the Canadian Maritimes, including blistering fiddle tunes, mug-thumping pub songs, and soulful airs and touching ballads … and some unusual twists as well! The trio features Jason Mundok on guitar and vocals; Tom Knapp on fiddle, bodhran, and backing vocals; and Aaron Gagne on vocals and percussion.

New this year will be a chance for attendees to vote their ballot for their favorite beer! “The People’s Choice Brew” will be awarded at the conclusion of the evening after everyone has had a chance to visit all the breweries.

A limited number of tickets will be sold. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of, and $15 for designated drivers. Those attending must be 21 or older and IDs will be checked at the door. The ticket price includes beer tasting, food sampling, a commemorative glass, Museum admission, live music, and even a chance to win a door prize! Proceeds benefit the National Watch & Clock Museum, Library & Research Center.

COLUMBIA, PA: Turns out Frisbees aren’t just for flying. You can tell time with them! As a matter of fact, flip-flops and CDs can do the same thing! “At the National Watch and Clock Museum you don’t have to just visit time. You can take time home with you!” explains Marketing and Special Events Coordinator Kim Craven.

Make-and-Take Workshops will be held at the Museum on Mondays through August 27 between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Participants can choose the clock they want to make for themselves or for a gift. There is a small fee of $6 and large groups should make reservations by calling 717-684-8261, ext. 237.

“A workshop like this one is another opportunity to encourage families to visit and see that our Museum is not only educational, but a whole lot of fun, too – for all ages,” states Director of Education Katie Knaub.

COLUMBIA, PA: The National Watch and Clock Museum recognizes the significant sacrifice of our soldiers who give their time, their courage, and in some cases the ultimate gift – their life. Because of their service, the Museum is announcing the launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,500 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, through Labor Day, September 3, 2012. The free admission program is available to active-duty military members and their families (military ID holder and up to five family members.) Active -duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active-duty National Guard, and active -duty Reserve members.

The Museum’s newest special exhibit, Enlisting Time, will open on August 16. This exhibit will present the personal timepieces and accompanying stories of those who have served their countries for the last 250 years. Watches in the exhibit include George Washington's pocket watch, spy and author Ian Fleming's Rolex wristwatch used when he served in the Cold War, and many more.

Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect, and empower military families. In addition to morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable through partnerships like Operation Honor Cards, MilKidz Club, and Blue Star Museums. Membership includes military spouses, children, and parents, as well as service members, veterans, and civilians who strongly support them.

“Through Blue Star Museums, the arts community is extending a special invitation to military families to enjoy over 1,500 museums this summer,” said NEA Chair Rocco Landesman. “This is both an opportunity to thank military families for their service and sacrifice, as well as a chance to create connections between museums and these families that will continue throughout the year. Especially for families with limited time together, those on a limited budget, and ones that have to relocate frequently, Blue Star Museums offers an opportunity to enjoy one another and become more fully integrated into a community.”

“As we enter the third consecutive year of the Blue Star Museums program, we are happy to provide an opportunity for our nation’s service members and their families to connect with our national treasures,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,500 museums, military families have an unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums for free.”

This year, more than 1,500 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 300 new museums this year. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find the museums that are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site also includes a map to help with visit planning.

COLUMBIA, PA: All clocks tell time, but beautiful clocks also enhance our homes and offices. Clockmakers have always taken pride in designing and creating timepieces that are works of art. Stenciling the glass used in wooden shelf clocks was a nineteenth-century craft still useful today.

The National Watch and Clock Museum will host “Stenciling on Glass” on Saturday, June 2, with guest instructor Lee Davis.

During this workshop participants will learn proper materials for stenciling, how to cut stencils, the correct way to apply varnish and various stenciling techniques using bronzing powders. At the conclusion of the workshop students will have completed at least one stencil on glass.

All materials and supplies are provided except for a few common household items that the students will be asked to bring. The workshop hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with two 15- minute breaks and a one- hour lunch. The cost for members of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors is $95 and for nonmembers $115, with a $15 lab fee.

Lee Davis has been a guest instructor at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors’ School of Horology and is a retired public school teacher and graduate of Illinois State University with a master’s degree in education.

For additional information or to register, call Katie Knaub, the Museum Director of Education at 717-684-8261, ext. 237.

COLUMBIA, PA: On your mark, get set, go! The clock is ticking, the race has begun, the game has started, but in the end it is not just strength of the athletes but also time that controls who wins and who loses.

Time Out!, opening on May 5 at the National Watch and Clock Museum, will highlight the important role that time has played in sport, from the earliest Olympiads to modern time. The exhibit, generously supported by Gallet Watch Group, will present unique items from the Museum collection as well as items on loan from individuals and other museums, including the Lake Placid Olympic Museum in New York. The stories of the athletes who used them will also be featured, adding to the significance of these treasured pieces.

Accurate time tracking has always been vital to sport. This exhibit, scheduled the same year as the summer Olympic Games in London, will explore the role time has played in the history of sport and how it has influenced sport over the centuries.

“The Museum is using the term ‘sport’ broadly for this exhibit,” explains Museum Director Noel Poirier “and will be including items that are used to time almost any competitive endeavor. One of our goals is always to make the exhibits relevant and place the timekeeping story in context. The inclusion of nontimekeeping items is essential to that effort,” says Poirier.

Director of Education, Katie Knaub adds, “The exhibit is so unique because it looks at not only the timepieces themselves, but at the athletes, who seem to compete more against the timepiece than their actual competitors. Time measurement is so key in a sporting event that an athlete can win or lose by less than one-thousandth of a second - an amazing concept that we have invented timepieces which can measure time that closely.”

The Time Out! exhibit runs through December 31, 2012, and is included with Museum admission.

COLUMBIA, PA: Frosty mint juleps, large elaborate hats, and a blanket of roses are reminders of the nation’s oldest Thoroughbred horse race: the Kentucky Derby - “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports”. The National Watch and Clock Museum will celebrate the Derby when it opens its newest special exhibit, Time Out!, on May 5.

Time Out!, generously sponsored by Gallet Watch Group, will showcase the importance of time in sport, from the earliest Olympiads to modern time. Unique items from the Museum collection and on loan from other museums and people from the community, along with the stories of the athletes who used them, will be featured.

From 4 to 7 p.m. enjoy Derby-inspired cocktails and appetizers and root for your favorite Thoroughbred as you watch the 138th annual running of the Kentucky Derby on the Museum’s big screen. Arrive at the Museum, meet our own four-legged host, participate in our ladies’ hat contest or gentlemen’s tie contest, and share in a friendly game of horseshoes!

The official starting clock from Flying Feet Sports Shoes will tick down the time to the 125th official start of this historical race. Since 1975, Flying Feet has given athletes of all levels and sports the quality footwear and apparel they need and owner Greg Baum proudly continues to fit schools, organizations and individuals for all their athletic needs.

Columbia’s premier local florist, Flowers By Us, will provide the signature roses for the event and will present a bouquet of roses to the winners of the hat and tie contests. Flowers By Us uses not only locally grown flowers, but also ones shipped from all over the world.

“Strings on Wings” with local musicians, Barb Schmid and Todd Clewell, will set the mood with fiddle tunes on guitar, banjo, and mandolin. Together, in harmony, they sing songs from bluegrass, old-time, and folk and will delight everyone with the Derby’s “My Old Kentucky Home”!

Allimax Farm, a family fun horse stable that provides trail rides and lessons in the community, will bring a retired Thoroughbred race horse. The horse, a past winner at Penn National Race Track, is now used in the lesson program at Allimax Farm. Meet this majestic race horse, and bring your camera along to have your picture taken with a winner!

The Turkey Hill Experience will give everyone a chance to be a sports star. Whether it’s the Eagles, Phillies, or Steelers, Turkey Hill will be bringing life-size cut outs to add to the fun! Along with Phillies Grand Slam ice cream and its new Sun Brew Teas, Turkey Hill will be at the Derby to be sure the fun never stops!

A complimentary mint julep or other cocktail from the Millionaire’s Row cash bar, food, live music, a theater viewing of the Derby, Museum admission, and a first look at the new exhibit are all included for just $15. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.museumoftime.org or call 717-684-8261, ext. 211.

COLUMBIA, PA: With the holidays well behind us, it’s time for some new family fun – fun that includes sleeping too! Spend a night at the National Watch and Clock Museum on March 2. Find out what happens after the Museum locks its doors each night. Does the mouse run up the clock, does the grandfather clock begin to talk, or does time really fly?

The Museum, located in Columbia, is truly the center of time and is home to close to 12,000 watches and clocks. Why not bring your family and explore time?! After a stroll through the Museum’s time tunnel, you will find yourself transported to the time of Stonehenge and water clocks. From there, you begin your journey through time where thousands of years later (or an hour and a half in museum time) your family will stand speechless before the Mars Clock wondering, “Where did the time go?”

The Family Overnight is a unique opportunity for children ages 6 to 12 to spend the night at the Museum and enjoy decorating a clock to take home, munching on a snack, and exploring the many Museum’s exhibits. Cost is $20 for children and $12 for adults, with payment due prior to the sleepover. The adult chaperone must be at least 21 years old and one chaperone is required for every five children who participate.

Admission includes:• Scavenger hunt activity through the Museum• Museum exploration• Make-a-clock program for children• Snack and light breakfast• Souvenir patch for children

Register for the Family Overnight by calling 717-684-8261, ext. 237 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
to reserve a space and receive an information packet. Space in this program is limited to 80 participants.